History Repeating
by AnonymousDreams
Summary: Thirty years had passed since her father's death. Now it was time for history to repeat itself, only this time with different results. SessKag/M for nudity


"Thirty years already?" Kagome whispered, wiping away a tear.

"I know, hard to believe isn't it?"

Kagome looked over at her mother, seeing her wipe her eyes with a tissue. Her mother's nose was bright red. Her cheeks were red as well but not quite as bright as her nose.

"It'll be okay," Kagome comforted as she wrapped an arm around her mom. She knew this was the worst day of the year for her, the anniversary of Kagome's father's death. Tragically, this day was also the anniversary of her parent's marriage.

Haruki, Kagome's father, had been walking home from work. He'd been kept late by his boss and had decided to take a different route home. This route was along the main roads and although it was faster, it was also more dangerous. Haruki was run over by a drunk driver. He died at the scene.

It had been a bloody mess.

Kagome remembered the day. She had been eight years old at the time, helping her mom bake cookies when her mother got a phone call. She could still recall what her mother had said. She remembered her mother dropping the phone because her hands had been shaking so much. She remembered her mother lowering to her knees, shocked beyond words. Her mother had been too shocked to go down and officially identify him herself so Grandpa had gone in her place.

At the time, Kagome didn't know what was going on. All she could remember was mom finally getting up, telling Grandpa to go to the hospital and then she popped sleeping pills. Grandpa came home that evening to find Kagome sitting on the stairs, waiting for him. He just shook his head and told her to go to bed, not answering her questions about her father.

It took Grandpa a few days before he told her that her father had died. Kagome hadn't known how to react at the time. She was quiet, surprised and shocked. Finally, later that evening in the privacy of her pink room, she cried. It had finally sunken in that she wasn't going to see her father again. He was out of her reach forever. That devastated her. She wasn't going to throw a Frisbee with her father again. He wasn't going to be there for her dance recital. He wasn't going to take her to the little doughnut shop on the corner. He was gone; he was never coming back.

Little Kagome never thought about her mother during that time. She was too wrapped up in her own grief to notice her mother drowning in pills. Painkillers, anti-depressants, sleeping meds. All of it, she hadn't paid any attention to the bottles her mother kept packing away.

No, she hadn't noticed until her mother over-dosed on the pills. Kagome was so filled with grief for her father that when she learned that her mother had almost died too, she'd just gone into shutdown mode. The thought of not only her father leaving her but her mother too had sent the little girl down the drain. She was lifeless, depressed. She wasn't living anymore; she might as well have been buried in the ground.

Thirty years had now passed. Her mother was an old woman and Kagome was thirty-eight years old. Her Grandfather lived until he was ninety-nine, dying three days before his birthday and on the anniversary of his wife's death. He passed silently in the night, a smile on his face. He hadn't been bitter about falling short of one-hundred years.

"I know Kagome, I know," her mother's cracked voice sounded harsh. "It's just so hard. I loved him so much yet he was still taken away from me. At least I have you and Souta. I never could be mad about marrying him because I got the two of you out of it."

Her mother wrapped an arm around Kagome, holding her tight. Her daughter was her lifeline. Kagome was what kept her from over-dosing again. She would've but her daughter still needed her and one day, so would her son. He had been young at the time, too young to have remembered her if she had died and certainly too young to remember his father. She was glad to have lived through it though, so much had happened since then, things that she wouldn't trade for the world.

"Kagome, I wish you didn't know the same pain."

Hinata had never wished Kagome to know the pain of losing a lover but the girl had. It wasn't the same; it wasn't as if she lost him to things that could've been prevented. Kagome could've been happy with him but it was impossible. Kagome's lover had been lost to time itself. Five hundred years apart, they were truly star-crossed lovers.

"Mama, I've moved on. I know I never had a chance with Inuyasha. He probably married someone else that he fell in love with."

Hinata pulled away from her daughter, eyeing her warily.

"Oh really? You're thirty-eight years old, you haven't been married, and my only grandchildren are from Souta. You aren't hung up on him? Try again girl."

Kagome laughed and so did Hinata.

"Okay, I might be a little hung up on him, but just a smidgeon."

"Sure," her mother said sarcastically.

"Whatever," Kagome said, giving into her mother's all-knowing look. "Maybe a little more than a smidgeon."

She smiled at her daughter, wrapping her arm around her in mirth. Both women laughed at Kagome's antics.

"Kagome, you should find someone to be happy with, a man you can eat popcorn with on the couch while you watch cheesy historical dramas."

"Mama, I'm not interested in romance. I'm interested in spending time with my mother and my family. I'm going to continue to take care of the shrine, I'm going to take care of my immortal cat, and I'm going to eat doughnuts without getting fat. I'm not going to fall in love."

"Sure... When you find the man who's meant for you, you'll want love, not immortal cats."

Kagome playfully punched her mother's shoulder, laughing all the while. The two women laughed awhile, said their goodbyes to Haruki and went home, stopping by the doughnut shop first. Kagome got a chocolate one and her mother got a glazed. They sat on the shrine steps to eat them, reminiscing about years gone by.

They talked about memories of Haruki, of Grandpa, of Buyo, Souta and Inuyasha. Kagome reminisced about her days in the feudal era, of Sango and Miroku, of Shippou, Kirara and the other various people she'd met while traveling Japan. Hinata talked about all the crazy illnesses Grandpa came up with to excuse Kagome from school. Kagome talked about her adventures in high school, college and then the years after college. She mentioned Hojo and the various times she tried to date him, of other men that had been, came and gone. Hinata mentioned the various men she had tried to date as well. The moon was high in the sky by the time the two of them decided to head inside and go to bed.

* * *

Kagome yawned, rubbing her eyes with the sleeves of her pyjamas. The sun filtered through her window, highlighting the white covers of her queen-sized bed.

The purple walls were long gone, painted white three years after she had gotten out of high school. Gone with the walls were the pink bedding and twin-sized bed, replaced by a simple queen-sized bed and white sheets. The desk where she had spent hours pouring of homework she didn't understand was gone, replaced by an oak dresser. The various other knick-knacks and random furniture now had homes in other houses, bought up in a yard-sale years before.

Her feet hit the greenish tatami mats, sending a chill up her spine. Ignoring it, Kagome got her traditional priestess garbs out and headed for the bathroom.

She turned on the shower and undressed. The white nightclothes were neatly piled beside the other clothes, destined for the washing machine sometime that week.

She quickly shampooed and conditioned her hair, soaped up her body and shaved her legs. She let herself relax under the warm water, closing her eyes and getting lost in the nothingness of still being half-asleep. It felt good, but she still had a long day's work ahead of her.

She dried off, brushed her teeth and used the toilet. Kagome dressed and hurried down the stairs to where a warm breakfast awaited her.

"So for today," her mother started as Kagome ate her food, "You'll need to go through the store-house and make sure everything is in place. The Ja-aku Na Tamashii* pot will need to be taken out and set aside because someone from a local museum will be stopping by at noon to pick it up. Someone's dog has been pooping by the Goshinboku so please pick that up. At two, the new worker will arrive. You'll have to show him around and tell him what he needs to do. Remember, he's boarding here as well so set up his room before he gets here. He'll be sleeping in Souta's old room so please take out anything in there that is related to the family such as storage, pictures and clothes. You got it?"

"Yes _manager_."

"I will have no lip from you missy," Hinata said with false anger.

"Ma, I'll be fine. Now tell me about our new victim." Kagome picked up her dishes and brought them into the kitchen, Hinata following her.

"His name is Kagome Shinobu." Kagome chuckled, stopping her mother from continuing to speak. Once she was done, she motioned for her mother to continue to speak. "Kagome, that's just his last name. It isn't his fault, it's fate. Anyways, he's moving up here from Nagasaki, so you'll also have to show him around the town. I didn't ask for much information, just his degree and criminal history. He does have citations for violence and property damage but those were years ago. He had graduated from high-school and did start college but quickly dropped out."

"Wow! For once I have more of an education than the person you hire to help me that end up trying to steal our stuff and then get thrown into jail," Kagome added sarcastically. "Look mom, what about his personality?"

"From what I saw, he's a bit awkward and not very vocal. A few nods, a shake of a head here and there, a couple huhs and yeahs. He did ask a few questions and did say some things. He's very logical and very… accurate. As in, you have get everything exactly right or he'll correct you."

"Ma…"

"I'm sorry Kagome but I'm certain he isn't going to be like all the rest. He was completely honest with me, I swear."

"Fine, I'll deal with the constant corrections and sarcasm. What time is it?"

"Eight thirty-five. And I never mentioned that he was sarcastic but you're is right. Just like you tend to be." Her mother gave her a knowing look and in return, Kagome grinned sheepishly.

"I'm gonna start on the storage house, kay?" Kagome didn't really want to talk about the new guy anymore, she just wanted to be alone. Hinata knew her way of avoiding things, starting on tasks that needed to be done suddenly.

"Alright sweetie. Remember: Ja-aku Na Tamashii pot."

Kagome made her way to the door, waving off her mother offers of water bottles, sweaters and other things.

Kagome made her way to the storehouse, her zori making small scraping sounds against the stones. Her clothes jostled, making small sounds. However, she wasn't paying attention to them, instead she was thinking about her past experiences with new employees.

They never lasted very long. Most were either drifters or criminals who just wanted to steal their artefacts, sell them for lots of money and get a ticket to America. So far, there had been twenty-nine of them and of them, seventeen had been criminals and thirteen of them had been drifters. She still kept in contact with the drifters; they were normally pretty nice people. She was guessing that this Kagome Shinobu was a drifter. He sounded like her might be a person she was going to like. Sarcastic and nit-picky, just the thing she had developed into over the years.

She grabbed the broom, flicked on the light to the storehouse and got to sweeping.

She ended up dating a lot of the employees that came through here since the majority of them were male. Hinata always set her up with them, trying to make her happy. She didn't want romance though. Her heart still belonged to Inuyasha five hundred years in the past. If it didn't, she'd probably be married to Hojo and raising a herd of children. She wasn't though; she was thirty-eight years old, single and the keeper of the Sunset shrine.

Anyways, she didn't really like people like herself. Sarcastic and nit-picky was not what she was looking for in a boyfriend, she wanted someone who was kind yet smart but also wasn't 'perfect' like Hojo was.

Kagome set the broom aside. She began to shift through the objects, find the ancient looking pot she knew as the Ja-aku Na Tamashii pot. She never liked this pot. For some reason or other, it gave her a vibe that it was evil. She wanted to purify it; she could feel the holy energies bubbling up every time she was in its presence. Still, it wasn't as if she had any other reason beside that to think it was evil. That was why she never purified it, because she wasn't provoked to do it by the pot itself, just vibes that didn't mean much.

She placed the pot on an empty shelf before organizing the rest of the artefacts. Some of the things were evil and some were good. She had never shifted through all the objects here so she did come upon some surprising things.

She reached back into one of the bottom shelves, blindly feeling around for anything. Her hand came upon a dusty bamboo box. She pulled it out, blowing off the dust on the lid. Curiously she pulled the lid up and gasped at the contents.

Rosary beads.

They weren't any rosary beads though; she would know these ones from anywhere. These were the beads that had kept a lock on the wind tunnel. These were Miroku's rosary beads.

Her fingers gently touched the beads, hooking them around one finger to hold up to the light. They were beautiful, she realized. She didn't know how long she sat there staring out them, just that her mother came out there awhile later and she was still marvelling at them and the luck of her finding them here.

"Ueda-san from the museum just called and told me that she wouldn't be able to get the pot until tomorrow," her mom informed, looking at her amazed daughter. "You recognize 'em?"

"They were Miroku's. I can't believe it, they're here."

"Maybe it's your lucky day," Hinata offered.

"Maybe…"

* * *

Kagome stood at the top of the stairs, tapping her foot in impatience. She was waiting for Shinobu to show up. It was almost two and she was done with everything she had to do that day. Souta's old room was cleared out of any personal objects and prepped for Shinobu. The storehouse was cleaned and ordered. Miroku's rosary was atop her dresser and the Ja-aku Na Tamashii pot was sitting on a pedestal in the storehouse. And, with a disgusted attitude, she had cleaned up the dog poo.

The sun was beating down on her and a slight sheen of sweat had formed on her brow and the back of neck. Her clothes were warm and she was certain that there were sweat stains on her armpits. Her scalp felt like it was on fire and the back of her throat felt dryer than Death Valley. It took quite a bit of effort out of her to stand there.

Her eyebrows shot up when a man with short black hair carrying two suitcases came to stand at the bottom of the stairs.

"Are you Higurashi Hinata?" he yelled up to her.

"No, I'm her daughter Kagome. I run the shrine, she just hires employees. Are you Kagome Shinobu?"

He nodded.

"Why don't you come up here? I'll show you too your room and let you drop you bags there."

Shinobu ascended the stairs quickly and she found that he towered over her by about nine inches. His face was sharp and paler than most Japanese. Her first assumption was that he might be bi-racial. His eyes were a light brown and now that she could see it closer, his hair was actually brown, not black.

Kagome led him to the house and to his room.

"Um those," she motioned to the clothing on the bed, "might be a little small. I didn't know how tall you were so I laid out some of my Grandpa's clothing. I'll fix them later if you'll hand them to me."

Shinobu picked up the robes and handed them too Kagome without a word. He was much more aloof then her mother had made him out to be. Kagome had been expecting someone more like her, almost constantly making sarcastic comments.

"Is it okay if I unpack now?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll be downstairs if you need me."

She closed the door behind her then remembered that she hadn't shown him the bathroom. She quickly opened the door to find that he had already taken off his shirt and was in the process of pulling off a rosary he was wearing around his wrist.

"Uh, sorry, it's just that I didn't tell you where the bathroom was if you wanted it. It's, uh, the door to the right of your room." He nodded before she shut the door again.

She wasn't going to be able to get that image out of her head again.

Shinobu had muscles, really, really nice muscles. She was blushing like the virgin she was, surprisingly. She shouldn't have been surprised she'd watched porn before. She'd been to the beach before. She had been in the freaking feudal era. She knew all about that stuff yet it still had her blushing. Maybe it was just because he was a stranger. That had to be it, she reasoned.

Kagome rushed down the stairs to where her mother was making tea.

"He's handsome isn't he," Hinata prodded.

"Deliciously but ma, please don't set him up with me. If I want to have a relationship with him, I'll do it on my own." Kagome glared at her mother to reinforce her words.

"Sit down, have some tea with me." She paused to serve the tea. "Kagome, I swear I won't set you two up."

"Thank you."

Silently, they slipped their tea, enjoying each other's company. At some point, they heard the shower turn on. It was odd to think that Kagome would be sharing a bathroom again. She'd gotten use to not having to deal with others. It had been two years since they'd had a second employee at the shrine.

The shower turned off and a few moments later, Kagome heard the door open. About five minutes or so later, Shinobu came downstairs to where Hinata was just serving up the second serving of tea.

"Would you like some Kagome-san?"

"Yes, please. And please just call me Shinobu."

"Alright Shinobu-san," Hinata said as she poured the steaming drink. Silently the sipped their tea, enjoying the warm liquid pouring down their throats.

When they were done, Kagome offered to show Shinobu around the shrine grounds. He agreed and they set off.

She showed him the well house and told him about the legend the surrounded it. She didn't mention that it was true and she didn't mention any of her adventures on the other side of the well. She didn't really want to look crazy in front of the new employee.

She explained the legend behind the Goshinboku. She told him about the Shikon as well, along with Kikyou and Inuyasha.

She finished the tour with the storehouse. She showed him a few select items and told him about the Ja-aku Na Tamashii pot and why it was sitting out. She didn't mention that most of the objects in the storehouse were worth a ton, knowing that it wouldn't be a very good idea if he were here to steal.

She asked him if he had any questions and he shook his head.

By this time the sun was setting meaning that it was time to head inside and eat dinner. As they made the long trek back, she told him not to mention her father or her grandfather around Hinata. She explained that the sunset shrine had been in their family for a long time and that it meant a lot to her family.

"There are some things in this world that mean everything to one person and nothing to many others," he said wisely.

Kagome wondered what Shinobu was about. Why did he drop out? Why was he here if he had to move so far? What the hell did he mean when he said that? What was that rosary? Was that what meant so much to him like Miroku's rosary meant to her and the shrine to her family?

* * *

"Hello there. Are you Higurashi Kagome?" A woman in a pin-stripe dress suit asked Kagome who was sweeping near the shrine steps. Shinobu was busy picking up litter.

"Yes I am. I'm assuming you're Ueda-san from the museum?"

"I am. Is the Ja-aku Na Tamashii pot ready?"

"Follow me."

Kagome led Ueda across the shrine grounds to the storehouse. Shinobu was picking up trash next to the storehouse at the time, nodding to the two women as they passed. Ueda stopped right outside the storehouse and Kagome went in to fetch the pot. It was heavy so she called for Shinobu to help her carry it. He picked it up easily, acting as if it was as light as a feather.

Ueda was grinning at them when they brought it out. She felt her holy energies bubbling right below the surface. There was something seriously wrong with what was happening right now but she couldn't put her finger on what it was.

Then she noticed it.

Ueda was exuding demonic energies.

"Shinobu-san, please go put that back in the storehouse," she said immediately. Ueda glared at her, her mood turning sour.

"Is there something wrong, Higurashi-san?"

"Yes there is, _Ueda-san._ What to do you really want that pot for?"

"The museum of course," she lied. "I thought you knew that."

"Stop lying."

"Fine," she said angrily. "I want that pot because it will give me power. I thought mikos were destroyed long ago but I guess a few survived. I'll just have to kill you."

Ueda started mutating from a perfectly manicured woman into a horrifying monster. Kagome pulled her powers and focused them to her hands. She did her best to shoot the purifying energy at the demon but it was easily thrown aside.

"Weak!" its deep voice gurgled out.

"Step aside." Shinobu pushed her aside, not giving Kagome a chance to act on his words.

He pulled off the rosary and tossed it aside. To her surprise, his brown hair turned silver-white and he began to exude a very familiar demonic energy.

_Sesshomaru!_

With a single swipe from his claws, the demon was blown to bits. Green poison ate at the flesh, dissolving it quickly. Within moments there were no signs that a giant blubbery peace of disgusting flesh craving power had been there. The only demon left was the demon lord from her past.

"Are you alright?" he said as he made a grab for his rosary. He quickly slipped it on and went from Sesshomaru to Shinobu.

"Yeah. Thanks for asking." She grabbed the hand he offered her and pulled herself up off the ground. "Thanks, Sesshomaru."

"Perhaps we should talk about this," he suggested.

"Yeah, I really think we should."

She followed Sesshomaru as he led her away from the storehouse and, to her surprise, led her to the well house. She hadn't known that he knew she was from the future or that her mode of transportation between the two times had been the ancient well.

They sat on the steps leading deeper into the darkness of the well house. The steps were narrow, crowding them against each other.

"Sesshomaru, how the hell did you find me?"

He sighed. "Inuyasha, in his dying moments, asked me to watch over you. He was the last your friends to die. He never married; he had loved you too much. When he asked me to watch over you, he also told me where to find you in the future. It took me so long because I got caught up in Nagasaki watching over Rin's reincarnation."

"Uh-huh. Sesshomaru, why is Kagome the last name you chose?"

"I don't know."

"Alright." Kagome paused to think up another question to ask. "What happened to the rest of the group?"

"The slayer was the first to die. There were complications in the birth of her and the monk's twelfth child. The child managed to survive but she was too weak to continue on. She was mourned by many for a long time.

Her brother, Kohaku, was the next to go. He was cut down by demons far beyond his ability to slay.

The monk came next. Filled with grief, he had set off wandering the countryside. He became reckless, drinking heavily and spending evenings with many women that looked like his late wife. One of the women, one he had had previously and gotten pregnant, poisoned him because he had abandoned her."

Kagome shook her head. "He fell to his vice." Sesshomaru nodded.

"Jaken came next. He was very old for his species of demon and died simply of old age.

During all of this, Rin and Shippou had fallen in love and married one another. They were blissfully happy with four children. However, Rin fell sick and died. Shippou was never able to get over her, and after all of their children grew up, he followed her to death. One of their children is still alive today.

And, as you already are aware, Inuyasha died last. He was old but it wasn't old age that took him, it was a heart attack. I was there to witness it. He gave me tetusaiga although I stopped yearning for it years before."

Kagome nodded, still soaking up the knowledge. "I thought Inuyasha would've gotten over me."

"No, he never did. You were his true love, the one he was meant for."

"What happened to demons?" Kagome asked.

"Humans grew in population, and after a while, they grew sick of having the fear of demons hanging over their heads and waged war on us. Although some survived, many were killed. Those that survived were forced into hiding for fear being killed."

"What about holy powers? That demon said they were extinct."

"Yes, holy powers seemed to have gone into extinction. However, it seems that there are the rare few that still have them such as yourself. I've know many throughout the years, all of them which hid their powers.

Along with demons, humans waged wars on those with spiritual powers. Humans have always feared those with more power and so after it seemed the demons were eradicated, the next best step was to get humans who held power. Because those with holy powers didn't want to hurt humans, they were easily killed. A few escaped and went into hiding. Those that did escape seemed to turn their backs to humanity and began to help demons. They created rosaries like the one I wear to hide demonic traits."

"Wow," she whispered, utterly amazed.

"Hn."

* * *

"Hey, Shinobu," Kagome began. They sat around the table, her, Sesshomaru, and her mother. Hinata didn't know about Shinobu actually being Sesshomaru because Kagome and Sesshomaru had decided that it was for the best. "You did really great today at getting people to ignore the well house. I thought someone was going to sneak in but wow, you were just awesome."

"You're welcome."

Kagome hadn't wanted anyone in the well house due to the safety hazard it presented. Kids had tripped on the stairs one too many times so now whenever they held events at the shrine, she always had to block off the well house.

They made various chitchat as they finished their dinner. Hinata took the dishes into the kitchen and asked Kagome to finish cleaning them because she was tired and wanted to go to sleep. Kagome agreed and Hinata was quickly out of the picture.

"How did you do it?" Kagome asked as she and Sesshomaru quickly set upon the dishes.

"Magic. I made the well house disappear."

Kagome chuckled.

"Sesshomaru, why did you really choose the name Kagome for your surname?" She grinned at him slyly, giving him a knowing look.

"You were the only one of the group left alive. I thought it would be a good idea."

"So you did choose it because of me!" she exclaimed. She'd guessed that it had been that way all along but because she had never gotten a confirmation from Sesshomaru, it had only been left as an assumption for a long time. "It's a good surname," she boasted proudly. "If you like parks."

"Nature is nature."

They were done with the dishes now.

"Are you planning are using the shower tonight?"

"I had planned on it," Sesshomaru began as he dried his hands off on a towel. "But if you want to use it first you may."

"Thanks. I always feel so dirty after the festivals and whatnot we host here at the shrine. How about you? You've been here long enough to have been a part of multiple festivals."

"Being surrounded by so many humans always makes me feel dirty. I hardly left Rin's side in Nagasaki and I only moved here to Tokyo because I promised Inuyasha I would watch over you in his place."

Both made their way over to the stairs.

"Yeah, I'm not a big fan of crowds either. I hardly leave the shrine nowadays. Anyways," Kagome stopped on the first stair step to look at Sesshomaru, "Souta and his family will be arriving tomorrow so me and mom will be going down to the airport. You'll be able to take care of the shrine while we're gone, right?"

"You'll only be gone a few hours, I think I can manage."

"Alright."

Kagome turned away and bounded up the stairs. Sesshomaru followed behind her quietly, separating paths to go to his room while Kagome went to hers to grab her nightclothes. She grabbed the white clothes and headed to the bathroom for her shower. As always, she neatly piled her nightclothes on the counter and her priestess clothing got neatly folded and placed beside the other clothes. She turned on the shower, feeling the running water until it was just the right temperature before getting in. She shampooed, conditioned and soaped up her body quickly, ending her shower in around ten minutes. She wasn't one to keep others waiting.

She towelled off, put on her night clothes and put her uniform in the dirty clothes. Her hamster was full so she decided that she'd get started on them.

"Sesshomaru," she said knocking on the closed bathroom door. "Can you hand me your dirty clothes. I'm going to get the laundry started."

The bathroom door opened up to reveal a nude Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru, she had learned, was not a modest person. He didn't care about being naked or partially naked. In his hands were her grandfather's old clothes that she had fixed up to fit Sesshomaru. She made sure to keep her eyes above his waistline as she grabbed the clothing he offered.

"I'm going to grab the clothes in you hamster if that's fine by you."

"You may."

He shut the door and a blushing Kagome went into his room to grab his dirty clothes. This was certainly not the first time she'd seen an indecent Sesshomaru but even so, every time left her redder than a tomato.

* * *

"Hey, you want to go grab some doughnuts?" Kagome asked as she approached Sesshomaru who was dusting artefacts in the storehouse.

"Unhealthy yet deliciously fatty foods. At least unlike you, I will not get fat."

"Is that a yes?" She didn't even care that he had just offended her like that. He always made fun of her liking of doughnuts so this was nothing new.

"It's better than inhaling dust for another four hours," he said as he stood up, hanging the duster on a nail that stuck out from the wall.

"Alright!"

They quickly made their way to Kagome's favourite doughnut shop. Eri, her old friend from middle school and high school now worked here and knew that Kagome came in here on a regular basis.

"What can I get for you two," Eri asked cheerfully as Kagome's eyes flicked over all the doughnuts.

"Um, one glazed, one powdered, two chocolates and then whatever Shinobu wants."

Eri began to grab Kagome's order as Sesshomaru looked over the selection.

"The lemon cake doughnut."

Eri grabbed one of those and rung them up.

"Hey, do you two want to come over for dinner tomorrow?" Eri asked as she handed Kagome her change. Eri hadn't gotten the memo to not try to get Kagome and Sesshomaru together so any time the two came here, she always asked them to come over or go on a double date with her and her husband.

"Um… I'm free but I don't know about Shinobu," she said.

"I can attend."

"Great," Eri exclaimed, "Seven sound alright?"

"Sure," they said in unison.

Kagome and Sesshomaru took their doughnuts over to a table in the corner and begun to eat. Kagome attacked hers ravenously while Sesshomaru slowly savoured his. Kagome had finished her four before Sesshomaru was even done with his one.

"You are a beast," he stated as Kagome licked her fingers.

"They're tasty!"

"How would you know, you hardly chew."

"Sorry that I'm not a slow eater like yourself."

The argument ended there, Sesshomaru not having a comeback and not really caring to form one.

"We should probably get back to the shrine," Kagome said as she stood, oblivious to the chocolate crumb on the corner of her mouth. Sesshomaru stood as well, bending down to lick the crumb away. Kagome froze in shock as he did so, Eri giggling in the background.

"What. Was. That?" she asked angrily, punctuating each word.

"A crumb. Perhaps I should get one of their chocolate doughnuts next time…"

Kagome stood stupefied as Sesshomaru began to walk away from the table, intent on finishing dusting the storehouse.

* * *

"Do I look alright," Kagome, asked twirling so that Sesshomaru could see the entire outfit. It was a black dress that reached the back of Kagome's knees. She had barged in on Sesshomaru dressing.

"I thought you were embarrassed when you saw me partially naked."

Kagome glanced at him, finally noticing that he might've been dressed from the waist up, he wasn't below the waist. Why was it she always picked the most inopportune times to barge in on Sesshomaru? And why the hell was he not even wearing boxers but he was completely dressed from the waist up?

"Put some boxers on!" Kagome spun around to find that her mother was watching the two with a questioning look.

"Perhaps you should close the door, darling," Hinata offered. Kagome quickly took her suggestion and acted upon it.

"Is it safe to look?"

"It's safe to look at any time but for your information, I did put on boxers."

Kagome spun around, still cherry red from her encounter.

"Do I look okay?" she asked, trying again.

Sesshomaru looked her over carefully before nodding. "You look magnificent."

He grabbed a pair of black slacks he had set out on the bed, putting them on.

"Thanks. I'll be downstairs when you're ready." Kagome opened the door and quickly got out of his room, shutting it behind her.

She bounded down the stairs and into the living room where her mother was busy watching the news. Hinata's turned to look at daughter as she entered the room.

"You look great but perhaps next time you should knock on Shinobu's door first." Her mother winked at her as Kagome turned bright red again.

"What kind of guy does that though?"

"Your father did. I was always constantly having to knock on the door while we were dating if I didn't want to see him naked. Like Shinobu, he never cared about modesty. He always said that if we're born naked, what does it matter that we're seen naked?"

"It's just polite to you know, be dressed."

"It's also polite to knock," Sesshomaru countered upon entering the room. Kagome didn't turn around to look at him although Hinata did.

"Are you dressed?"

"Yes I am. If I wasn't I would assume that your mother wouldn't be looking at me."

Kagome turned around to face him, surprised at how well he cleaned up as Shinobu. Then she realized how much it looked as if they were going on a date.

"Oh my god, mama, does it look like we're dating?"

"Yes," her mother answered honestly.

Kagome buried her face in her hands, cursing herself mentally. This wasn't what she wanted; she didn't want to date anyone. She didn't want to fall in love with anyone. No, that wasn't it. She didn't want to fall _out_ of love with Inuyasha. She wanted her heart to always belong to the half-demon. Inside, she was still a fifteen year old girl who's heart belonged to someone she could never have.

Kagome stood, rushing out of the room and out of the house. Behind her, she left a confused Sesshomaru and a Hinata who was beginning to wise up on her daughter's feelings.

Kagome didn't stop running until she was standing in front of the well. She always came here. It comforted her. It was the closet she was ever going to get to Inuyasha again.

He was gone; she would never see him again. Sesshomaru had confirmed it himself. She never went back to the past again. She was stuck here until she died.

She crumpled to her knees as the fact she was never going to see Inuyasha again fully dawned on her. She held her head in hands, the palms of her hands becoming wet with salty tears. She had shed so many tears in regards to Inuyasha.

* * *

She didn't know how long she was in the well house. She didn't remember falling asleep. All she knew was the next morning; she woke up in her bed, Sesshomaru stroking her head.

"Sesshomaru…"

"I called Eri and told her that you were sick. After a while, your mother grew worried about your whereabouts so I offered to find you. You were very easy to find."

She chuckled weakly.

"Kagome, if this isn't what you want then say it. I won't hold it against you."

It would be real easy for her to say those words, to tell him that she didn't want to be near him anymore. That she wanted to remain in love with Inuyasha but she knew if she did, she would be unhappy. She _had_ already fallen out of love with Inuyasha and in love with Sesshomaru. Over the few months he'd been working at the shrine, she got to know him, she got to see another side of him. It was time the girl inside grew up to match the girl on the outside. It was time she stopped holding onto a piece of the past and started holding onto the future. It was time to say goodbye to her first love, it was time to say goodbye to Inuyasha and it was time to say that she wanted Sesshomaru.

"No, this is what I want." She paused, a sly grin breaking it onto her face. "I just needed to wake up and start living in the future."

* * *

They started officially dating and not before too long, Sesshomaru asked Kagome to marry him. Of course Kagome said yes. Why wouldn't she? She was in love with Sesshomaru now, not Inuyasha. Sesshomaru was the one she wanted to spend her days with.

Now she was waiting in the dressing room, waiting for her time to shine as she walked down the aisle.

Like most Japanese people, she had chosen to have a Christian wedding instead of a Shinto or Buddhist one.

Her father wouldn't be able to walk her down the aisle, nor would her grandfather. Instead, her mother was going to be the one to walk beside her. Even if her grandfather were still alive, she would've definitely chosen to have her mother at her side.

"Have any doubts?" Eri asked.

Eri had been married for many years now. She was married to an American bad-boy that had moved into the area in their last year of high school. The two had been high-school sweet hearts and quickly after both of them got out of college, they married. Kagome had been one Eri's bridesmaids and now Eri would be one of her's.

"Not at all."

Her mother opened the door then, winking at her.

"Ready?"

"Of course."

Kagome stood, bracing herself. Her mother offered Kagome her arm and Kagome took it. Eri and Souta's wife, Kazue trailed behind them.

They appeared at the entrance to the room. She saw Sesshomaru, still pretending to be Shinobu waiting there, watching the room. His eyes fell on her and he smiled. Kagome smiled back.

The music played as the slowly walked down the aisle. A sheen of sweat formed on the back of her neck and her palms became sweaty. Nervousness sung through her blood.

It all passed by in a blur. She stood across from Sesshomaru, the priest beginning the traditional spiel. She got lost in Sesshomaru's eyes, almost missing Sesshomaru say 'I do' and the priest than asking her if she would take Sesshomaru as her husband.

"I do."

"You may now kiss the bride."

His lips were warm against hers. She felt herself get dipped by her new husband. She kissed back, savouring the taste of his lips.

He pulled away, love swimming in his eyes.

* * *

Within a few months of their wedding, she conceived. She had been so happy to find out that they were going to have a child. When she informed Sesshomaru, he had been happy as well.

Unfortunately, that happiness didn't last.

It was a stormy evening and Sesshomaru had gone out to buy her a doughnut. It seemed like he was taking a long time but Kagome just wrote it off as there was a long line. Still, as more and more time passed, she grew more and more worried. Finally, she called Sesshomaru's cell but he didn't pick up.

"Mom, I going to go look for him," Kagome yelled as she threw on her rain jacket.

She threw open the door, jogging out into the storm. She had grabbed a flashlight before leaving so she flipped on. She searched all over the shrine yard before jogging down the shrine stairs. There was still no sign of her missing husband.

"Sesshomaru!"

No answer.

Tears were gathering in her eyes as she grew closer and closer to the doughnut shop. Then she saw all the cops swarming around and she knew instantly that this wasn't good. She knew in her gut that Sesshomaru was involved.

A cop saw her and pointed her out to the others. One of them told her to go home, that a crime scene was no place for a lady. But she demanded to know what was going on. One cop told her that a hit and run had taken place. She demanded to know who it was and one man asked her if she could identify him. She came closer and gasped at the scene.

He was alive but holding on by just a thread. It was definitely Sesshomaru. She told the cops that he was her husband just before the ambulance arrived. She was allowed to ride with in it but by that time, she'd gone into lock down. Her husband, Sesshomaru, the man who'd brought her out of the past, was dying. Was she really going to lose him?

She remembered going through the motions on autopilot. When they arrived at the hospital, Sesshomaru was immediately taken into surgery. Kagome rested in the waiting room, falling asleep on the couch.

Hours later the doctor told her that the scene was grim but that luckily for her, Sesshomaru was expected to pull through.

Kagome was constantly at the side of her husband. He remained in a comma but seemed to be getting better. He was heeling faster than they had expected and they told her he would hopefully wake up soon. She was sitting at her husband's side when she went into labour.

Oddly enough, while Kagome was in the maternity wing giving birth, Sesshomaru did wake up. When they told her this, she couldn't wait to be able to see him. It took a little bit before she was allowed to see him and once she was there, she hardly wanted to leave his side. Sesshomaru got to hold his son for the first time ever.

* * *

Sesshomaru was released from the hospital a little bit after that. The man who ran Sesshomaru over was caught and slapped with multiple charges. Later on, he was found guilty of murdering his wife. That was why he'd been speeding and ran into Sesshomaru.

Kagome and Sesshomaru went onto have another child. They lived happily at the shrine. Hinata learned who Shinobu truly was soon after they came home. Their first son was named Inuyasha in honour of the hanyou who'd introduced the two of them. Their second child was a girl and named in honour of the little girl Sesshomaru had cared for over five-hundred years before. Rin.

Sesshomaru and Kagome lived happily, doting on their children and continuing to eat doughnuts.

**Finis**

***Evil souls**

**Please review**


End file.
